Breaking Dawn REMIX Seth Style
by santander16
Summary: Because Seth is the best member of the wolf pack.
1. A Howl in the Night

**A/N: This story needs little explanation. It's **_**Breaking Dawn**_** from Seth's perspective. I absolutely love the character of Seth, and I'm very glad that his character was explored so much more in **_**Breaking Dawn**_**. If I don't include a scene or conversation, it **_**still happened**_**. I just didn't rewrite all the scenes with Seth because some are long conversations that would have felt too much like I was just copying what was already written. So, just because you already know what's going to happen doesn't mean reading it from someone else's eyes might not be interesting, and there might be some new insight along the way! **

**It's a wild and crazy ride, and it's just beginning.**

**But who better to go along with than a mind that Edward himself once called "one of the purest, sincerest, kindest minds [he had] ever heard"? **

**Here we go. **

**Just as a side note, this first scene occurs BEFORE **_**Breaking Dawn**_** starts. **

A howl in the night.

It was an amazing sound, really. Not like anything I'd ever heard before any of this had started. The raw power behind it was enough to take your breath away, but the majestic quality was equally impressive. Behind the howl you could hear how sure of himself Sam was, how confident. It was almost _regal_.

I grinned as I jumped out of bed, thinking that he'd smack me upside the head for thinking that. He probably would, actually, since he'd hear my thoughts soon enough anyway. I'd try to remember to think about something else, so he wouldn't be embarrassed by my impressed thoughts. It wasn't like I didn't have enough other stuff to jumble through my head.

Another howl pulled at me strongly. "All right, all right, I'm coming," I muttered, hurrying through the dark, still house. The howl wasn't an urgent one – just a reminder that it was time for me to get my butt out there for my turn on patrol. I paused at the door to my mom's room. It was open, revealing her still form as she slept. Sighing, I hurried down the hall, trying not to think about that large empty space beside her in the bed. Now was not the time for that.

I ran my fingers through my hair as I rummaged through the fridge. I found cold pancakes and smiled, thinking of my mom staying up late to make them for me, so I'd have something to eat before I ran. I pulled them out and stuffed two in my mouth, chewing fast. I glanced once back at the still house before yanking at the string on my sweatpants and dropping them off. I untied the cord around my ankle and tied the pants to it deftly, my hands used to the motions. Five seconds later I was stuffing the last of my pancakes in my mouth even as I began to tremble, feeling the heat in my spine as I began the transformation from boy to wolf. Just as I cleared the back door, I felt myself explode outward.

_Hey, Seth_, Sam greeted me.

_Finally_, Paul grumbled tiredly, and I rolled my eyes. We all knew Paul would gladly not have phased back ever. He loved the feeling of raw power that came with sprinting through the forest as a wolf. Seconds later, he faded out of my mind, and I knew he'd phased. I pushed harder, not wanting Sam to only have one other back-up running with him.

_We're fine, Seth,_ Sam said. _There's no danger. Don't kill yourself._ Another eye roll. Running like this wasn't hard. It was great.

_Nice, kid,_ I heard Embry think. _You're getting fast. Maybe it's a Clearwater thing._ It was sometimes annoying, being the only one in the pack to actually be related by blood to another wolf. Especially since I was related to Leah, the pack's most annoying and bitter member by far.

Well, the most annoying. As far as bitter went, Jake had everyone beat and then some.

As I thought this, I felt a reaction in my head. I hadn't really noticed him, as he hadn't been thinking anything coherent or remotely human, but now that I was thinking about him, Jake was right there again, like he always was when I phased lately. He hadn't gone human in a long time. Not since –

But I pushed my thoughts somewhere else quickly. As muddled and incoherent as his thoughts were to me, I knew mine were clear to him. And I knew what thinking of _that_ did to him. I'd never do that to him. Determined to cheer my thoughts up for Jacob, I ran faster, concentrating hard on the passing trees as I pushed to reach Sam and Embry. I felt the vague sense of relief and gratitude in my head and knew that was Jake.

_I know,_ I heard Embry agree with my thoughts. _I miss him, too._

_Maybe –_

_I don't think so,_ he disagreed with the wordless direction of my hopes. _I really can't see him coming back any time soon._ I sighed, slowing slightly as I reached them. They were running together easily, making the familiar loop around La Push. I fell into place to the left of Sam, ranking third in this small group of ours. _But Jake, since I know you're listening, I'll tell you tonight what I've told you every night since you left. We miss you, man. We want you back. I know it's hard, and I know there's nothing we can do to make it easier. But it's over, you know? She chose, and she's gonna marry the bloodsucker soon. Seth's invited, you know, not that he's going, obviously. I guess she figured she needed at least one member of the pack suffering through the stink. Sue and your dad got invitations, too. _Embry was in full report mode. I knew part of Jake didn't want to hear any of it, but part of him must have been dying to know exactly what was going on, and he couldn't hear it unless one of us actually thought about it instead of thinking about him, which was basically what we all did when we were phased lately. And I knew Embry needed to tell him. It was as close to talking to him as he could get.

I focused on thinking about this instead of the invitation that had sat on my bedroom floor since the day I'd received it in the mail.

The invitation I hadn't thrown away.

Because you needed invitations to go to weddings, right?

Quickly, before the rather engrossed Embry or Sam heard the direction of my thoughts, I began thinking hard about Jake.

_I'm trying to be there for her for you,_ I promised Jake, thinking about the constant phone calls coming from Bella. Behind my gentle thoughts, and Sam's and Embry's accusing (toward Bella) ones, I felt his swell up. Try as he might to hide every emotion from us, to separate himself completely, I could feel the pain there.

It wasn't getting better.


	2. A Call in the Morning

I collapsed onto the couch the second I got in the house, tired and hungry. I'd run all night with Sam and Embry and had just been replaced by Collin and Brady as the sun rose. It made me proud that I was replaced by two instead of one – I was a full member of the pack now. Collin and Brady were still thought of as young, and when they relieved someone, it was always together. But I was just Seth now. Since the fight with Victoria, the way they treated me had shifted. I was still young, but I was experienced now. I was a fighter, too, and one with a good record.

It was very cool.

"Breakfast?" my mom called from the kitchen. She wandered into the living room, surveying me as I stretched out across the whole couch and grabbed the remote.

"Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks for the pancakes, by the way," I replied, looking at her upside-down from my position on the couch. She smiled at me, but it was the new smile she always used these days – the one that made me think she was only smiling because she knew it made me smile. I had been planning on going down to the beach and seeing who was down there, hanging out and swimming or something, but now I figured I'd hang around the house and keep my mom company. I flipped over as I jumped off the couch, grabbing a shirt and pulling it over my head as I made my way into the kitchen to watch my mom make bacon and eggs.

The phone rang, startling me slightly. "Can you get that?" my mom asked, and I nodded, snatching the phone from its cradle and pressing the ON button.

"Hey," I said into the phone.

"Seth!" It was Bella, and she sounded relieved.

"Hey, Bella!" I exclaimed, knowing that the relief in her voice was due to the voice that had answered the phone – specifically the fact that it was anyone but Leah, who I knew scared Bella a little. "How are you?" It was a dumb question because I knew exactly how she was – worried about Jake. That's why she was calling.

"Okay, I guess," she hedged.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," I agreed, wandering out of the kitchen as I talked. "How's the wedding planning going?" She laughed, but it was a nervous sound.

"I guess the decorations are arriving today… I'm not doing much of the planning, really," she admitted. "Alice has most of that covered. I just have to show up and not fall over walking down the aisle, and that's hard enough for me." I laughed.

"You'll do great. Charlie won't let you fall," I promised her.

"I hope not," she agreed. There was a pause as we both readied ourselves for what came next. "…Jake?" she finally asked, not able to fully articulate her concern. I grimaced.

"Sorry, Bella. He's out there, and we feel him out there, but he's not exactly conversant." I waited while she processed this news. It was the same every day, but she called me every day anyway. As upsetting as the whole Jake situation was, it was nice having her call me. I'd been kind of surprised the first time she'd called – I'd met her, of course, and I'd been with her at the clearing and all, but we hadn't exactly been friends before – but now I kind of looked forward to her calling. I liked her a lot, and it seemed like she didn't mind me either. And I was glad she called me because the rest of the pack was pretty bitter about her, blaming her for Jake's disappearing act and everything. I didn't blame her at all; she cared about Jake just as much as the rest of us did, probably more.

"Does he ever say anything?" she asked.

"No. He eats and sleeps and runs and… and wallows, I guess," I told her, feeling bad because I knew it would upset her. "We can…" I tried to find words to explain it, but it was hard. "We can feel what he's feeling, I guess. The tone of his thoughts."

"And?"

"It's bad, Bella," I admitted, wishing I could tell her something that wouldn't make her cringe into the phone and sound funny when she spoke next.

"Thanks for this. I know it must be annoying, telling me the same thing every day."

"Naw," I protested, not wanting her to think that. I grinned. "It's not _so_ bad, talking to you. I mean, I can put up with it a while longer."

"Thanks," she replied, sounding marginally better through her sarcasm. I congratulated myself. "A while longer?" she asked then.

"Well, yeah," I replied cheerfully, and then hesitated. "Jake'll come home and you'll forget all about me. Wait and see."

"Will he?" she whispered. So much for my cheerful tone.

"Yeah," I promised. "Maybe not soon, but he will." She took a deep breath, as if steadying herself. When she spoke again she was decidedly lighter. Too light, like it was forced, but it was still better than before. "And what makes you think I'll forget about you? You trying to get rid of me, kid?"

I laughed. "No way," I assured her. Just then, the door banged open. A very angry Leah stormed in, slamming the door behind her and growling as she stomped through the living room. She glared at me as she passed me.

"Is that Bella again?" she demanded.

"Er… yeah," I muttered, trying to cover the phone so Bella wouldn't hear Leah complain about her. I don't know what problem Leah had with her, anyway. It wasn't like she cared about Jacob enough to be upset about his pain.

"Get off the phone. She's not your girlfriend, either," she muttered. I cleared my throat, uncomfortable. Bella sighed, and it was clear that she had heard the exchange.

Glaring back at my sister, I walked back toward the kitchen and sat on a stool. "Sorry about that," I said.

"It's fine. She has every right to be upset with me," Bella replied somewhat glumly.

"You know I don't think that, but I know you won't listen to me," I told her.

"Guess we're stuck," she agreed. There were voices in the background.

"That Edward?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"Hey, Edward!" I said, knowing he'd hear.

"Hello, Seth. Thank you for keeping Bella company."

I grinned. "No problem," I replied, meaning it. "But, I should, uh, go…" I trailed off, glancing at my brooding sister.

"Well, I'll talk to you tomorrow," Bella told me. I nodded.

"Yeah. Bye!" I clicked the phone off and tossed it across the room at Leah. "There. You wanted the phone so bad?"

"I just wanted you to stop chatting it up with the leech lover," she muttered, catching it and dropping it on the floor beside the chair she was in. "Why do you talk to her?"

"'Cause I like her," I replied. "Why do you hate her?"

"Look what loving her did to Jacob," she pointed out. I scowled; this was why I didn't like talking to Leah. I was kind of perpetually in a good mood, but around Leah, _no one_ could be in a good mood. I remembered when it wasn't like that – when we would swim in the ocean together, or play Monopoly, or just talk or something. Sam and Emily's relationship had killed that sister, replacing her with a bitter shell of the girl I'd once lived with.

"She's my friend," I said, standing up. "_You_ don't have to talk to her." She didn't reply, so I grabbed some bacon and began chomping on it happily. It was good bacon.


	3. An Invitation in the Forefront

_Seriously?_ Paul exclaimed in my head. He was fast – I'd only been phased a few seconds and he'd already picked out of my head what I was there to talk to them about. _That's sick, kid._

_Having a ceremony to tell the world you're in love with someone is sick?_ I protested, loping along the forest line to the place where most of the pack was gathered.

_Having a ceremony to tell the world you're in love with a creepy, frozen leech is sick,_ he amended. I felt a low whine escape my throat involuntarily.

_What did Edward ever do to you?_ I asked. Expletives exploded in Paul's head, and Jared took over.

_Our entire existence is based on keeping them away. Doesn't that give you a heads-up that something's a little off there?_

I whined again, reaching the clearing and sitting back on the outskirts of the group. I heard the direction of Sam's thoughts before he got around to actually articulating them.

_Guys, back off. I agree with your sentiment, but if Seth wants to go to Bella Swan's wedding, I see no reason why he shouldn't that doesn't have to do with the level of disgust _most_ of us feel toward them. Obviously he's allowed on their land, as he received an invitation, and I don't imagine there will be any danger. _

_Of course there won't be any danger. It's a wedding. They're getting married. I'll go, listen to the I do's, watch some cake-shoving, clap a little, and I'm out of there. _This was ridiculous. I didn't feel like I should even be asking permission.

_What does this mean?_ Paul demanded. _What does this marriage mean?_ People mulled it over for a minute. _It means that Bella is soon going to become one of them. The marriage doesn't break the treaty, but what it represents does. We can't support this!_

There was general agreement as most of the pack began growling at the thought. _This treaty is the basis for our existence. We can't just go around letting them break it, _Jared agreed.

_She _wants_ this, guys. The treaty is in place to protect our people and the people of Forks. No one's in danger here,_ I protested quietly. There was more growling.

_We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Maybe there won't be any changing,_ Sam decided. _For now, we're going to leave them alone. Seth can go to the wedding in peace. Leah, Paul, and Jared are running patrol tonight. We're done here. _He paused, and then the Alpha tone was gone from his voice as he continued. _Emily's making lasagna for dinner, so anyone who wants some can come over,_ he reported, sounding more like a brother now and less like an Alpha. There were small yelps of joy as we dispersed, scattering even as we transformed back to our human forms, mostly heading to Sam's for dinner. I watched Paul and Jared race each other out of the clearing, pawing at each other playfully as they ran. Leah was already gone, having left the second Sam had said her name.

I quickly pulled myself down and inside myself, picturing my human form as I reached for it. A second later I was standing in the clearing on two feet instead of four. Yanking my shorts off my ankle and pulling them on, I began the short walk to Sam's house. I caught up with Sam, Embry, and Quil as they left the forest for the sandy path back to the row of houses.

"Hey, Seth," Embry said as he saw me approach. I grinned and waved. "You know," he said, looking thoughtfully at me, "you look a lot like…" he paused before saying the name, "a lot like Jake did when he was your age."

"I'm not that much younger than him," I pointed out, and he and Quil laughed.

"Sure you're not, kid," Quil agreed. "But Embry's right. You look like him, but he wasn't so gangly. He was buffer."

"Aw," I complained, and he shoved me jokingly.

"You'll get there. Go do some push-ups or something," he suggested, and I rolled my eyes as we piled into Sam's kitchen, feeling almost at home here as in our own homes.


	4. A Werewolf in a Suit

I pulled at the sleeves of my sports jacket, wondering how people wore these things every day. It was so _constricting_. Like, if I tried to phase, I'd have ripped through the t-shirt I was wearing, the button-down shirt, _and_ the sports jacket. Jeez.

"Ready, Billy?" I called as I entered the Black house.

"Yeah," he said gruffly as he wheeled himself into the hallway. "You clean up good," he told me, smiling slightly. I grinned back, running a hand through my course black hair. I'd cut it recently, but it had grown out some, leaving it kind of shaggy again.

"Thanks. So do you, Billy," I said, grabbing the handles on the back of his chair and shoving the door open with my foot as I wheeled him out the front door. "My mom's driving, that okay?"

"Sure, sure," he said, sighing. "This is going to be interesting, Seth."

"Sure is, Billy. But Jake loved Bella, and we love Jake, so it's right that we go," I assured him. His voice sounded even gruffer as he responded.

"Yeah. Let's just watch and then get out of there, okay?"

"It'll be okay, Billy," I promised him. "It's just a wedding. There'll be good food!"

"Well, I do like good food," he said, and I grinned again as I opened the car door.

"Here," I said, going to help Billy out of his chair and into the car.

A howl froze me in place. Billy glanced up at me, looking a little confused. I was torn. Phasing right now would be rather problematic. I didn't have any more nice clothes. But the howl was an urgent one. I ran a hand through my short hair, fretting.

I noticed the shiver in the air, but Billy didn't. I looked up wildly, about to phase, when I saw Sam sprinting from the forest, completely naked. He stopped at the corner of the Black house, and the expression on his face was very intense. I ran over to him, dragging Billy in his chair along behind me.

"What?" I demanded as Sam pulled a pair of sweat pants on, but Sam addressed Billy instead.

"Jacob's here."


	5. Another Howl in the Night

The car ride was a much different atmosphere than it had been before Sam's little announcement. All three of us were jumpy and happy, funny grins across our faces. Billy's mood was especially changed, as he hadn't exactly been looking forward to braving swarms of cold statues for the girl that had messed up his son's whole life. I knew he liked Bella a lot, but I also knew part of him blamed her for Jake's absence. A large part, but nothing could overshadow Jake's return, and so he sat in the car beside me grinning, his eyes shining and his fingers drumming with energy on the sides of his chair.

"He better not leave before I get my hands on him," he muttered as we drove into the Cullen's driveway.

"I don't think he'd leave again that fast," I assured him. "He'll prob'ly come down to the wedding, actually."

Billy looked thoughtful for a second. "You think that's a good idea?" he asked.

"I don't know," I replied, not able to completely feel worried about that thought because I was just so happy our long-lost brother was home. "But he's Jake, and I don't think he'll be able to stay away. I bet he's talking to Sam about that right now. They'll send some back-up with him, just in case…"

"In case he can't handle it," Billy finished for me.

"He'll be fine," I said firmly, opening the door and helping Billy out. "Wow, this place looks great!" Billy raised his eyebrows at me, but I was serious. "No, really, doesn't it? I mean, it reeks of vampires, I guess, but Alice sure can decorate!" Billy grimaced, not quite able to throw around Cullen names like I was, but the shine in his eyes didn't go away. Tonight was a night of celebration for him – not for the same reason as most of the people here, but I figured anything was better than the sullen mood he'd been in when I'd come to pick him up. I couldn't stop the slow smile on my face as I walked alongside my mother, wheeling Billy and looking around at all the happy people attending the wedding. Sure, every once and a while I could pick out a vampire (Tanya's coven, I assumed, were the ones I didn't recognize), but there were tons of humans, too.

We were here for Bella. Jake was home and we were here for Bella and nothing else could really screw this night up.

Except, apparently, Jake and Bella themselves.

The reception had been going pretty well. I'd congratulated Edward and Bella. I'd gotten Billy and my mom some food before digging into some pasta salad, bread, and a few dishes I didn't know the names of myself. I'd even talked a little to some of Bella's friends; someone named Jessica and her boyfriend Mike had asked me if I was Jacob's little brother, and I'd explained that I was just another friend from La Push. Mike had for some reason not liked that very much, and Jessica seemed weird, but whatever. Everything seemed to be going pretty great.

So I was really surprised when my conveniently extra-strong hearing allowed me to hear Bella say very clearly, "Jake – stop!"

I was outside faster than it took to blink. Probably someone had noticed my too-fast motion, but right now my brothers needed me.

"Take your hands off her!" So Edward had heard too. I wasn't surprised to see him standing a few feet away from me. There were snarls from behind Jake and Bella, and I could see what the humans at the reception probably couldn't – two very large wolves, pacing softly, lips curled back threateningly. Sam and Quil. So they'd come after all, whether to watch Jake or me, I didn't know. Both, most likely, although I was fine here.

I surveyed the scene as quickly as I could. Basically, Jacob was gripping Bella way too tight. Something she said, probably, had set him off. They fought so easily. I knew it was because they cared about each other so deeply, but it did seem to cause problems. "Jake, bro, back away," I muttered, knowingly observing the shaking of his clenched fingers. "You're losing it," I added. If he phased so close to her… I shuddered. "You'll hurt her," I whispered desperately, trying to protect them both. "Let her go."

"Now!" Edward demanded more aggressively than me. Jake dropped his hands and Edward moved like a bullet, snatching Bella and landing with her behind him six feet away from the crushed and terrified looking Jake. Sam and Quil had advanced to stand between Jacob and Edward, their stances wary as they tried to look Jake in the eye to calm him down.

I lurched forward, throwing my arms around Jake's huge torso as he began to shake more and more violently. Pulling him backward toward the forest was difficult, as he was much stronger than me and not exactly able to move right then, but I tugged anyway. "C'mon, Jake. Let's go."

"I'll kill you," Jake choked out, his voice strangled with emotion. He was addressing Edward, and he trembled more violently. I really hoped he didn't phase with my arms around him, but right now I just needed him away from Bella so he wouldn't hurt her, because that would destroy more lives than I could count, his included. "I'll kill you myself! I'll do it now!" he insisted. Bad idea, Jake. Sam agreed with me, apparently, as a threatening growl escaped his lips.

"Seth, get out of the way," Edward commanded. I was _so_ not listening to him and would have rolled my eyes if they weren't locked on Jake's face. Jake needed me right now. He needed me to get him away from this.

"Don't do it, Jake. Walk away. C'mon," I urged. Don't kill anyone tonight. I tugged again, and Jake stumbled backward a few steps. Sam moved forward then, placing his forehead on Jake's chest and shoving him back toward the woods, where I could see Embry pacing silently, the hidden back-up. The three of us lurched into the dark woods, out of sight from human eyes. Quil stayed behind a moment, and I glanced back, still towing Jake away, to see him staring at Bella. I couldn't see his eyes, so I didn't know if the look was accusing or apologetic. I was betting on the first.

I dragged Jake back a few more yards, trying to get him out of human hearing range, but his trembling was getting dangerously strong. Suddenly Sam growled sharply, turning his head from Jake's chest to mine. The height difference meant that his forehead landed more in my face, giving me a face-full of black fur. He shoved me hard, using all the strength he had in his freakishly strong body, and I was sent flying through the air backward. Just as I landed in a heap on some branches, disoriented and shocked, Jake's body exploded outward, sending pieces of fancy clothing fluttering to the ground as an overly shaggy, massive wolf materialized right where I'd been standing half a second before.

Jake was huge. Bigger than I'd remembered him, although part of that was probably the reddish-brown fur that had grown long and ragged in the time he'd been gone. He growled loudly, shaking his coat out roughly as he advanced back toward the wedding. Embry and Quil threw themselves in front of him, bracing themselves against his strength and snarling as they shoved him backward. Between the two of them they barely managed to keep him where he was.

I stood, pulling a stick out from my arm and wincing slightly. I watched as the wound already began to heal itself, shaking myself out and reviewing the damage my little flight through the air had done. A few broken bones in my foot, I thought. I hoped they'd set right. Squaring my shoulders, I felt the heat I needed spread down from my spine and, in a flash of exploding material, I, too, was a wolf.

_That was my only suit,_ I thought wistfully to anyone who was listening, even as I braced myself behind Quil, helping to keep Jake from going back.

_Jacob,_ came Sam's voice, but it quivered and rung with the strong voice of the Alpha. _Stop. Now. You are not going back there tonight. You will not attack Edward tonight, or any other member of the coven. _Jake shuddered violently, straining against the order, but there was nothing he could do about it. Appearing to deflate, his head dropped and he stopped straining against the three of us. We stepped back, waiting warily. _Are you okay, Seth?_ Sam asked tersely. I nodded my big head.

_Fine. Don't worry about me,_ I replied, shifting my weight off my broken foot even as I spoke, still watching Jake's trembling body. A moment later, Jake raised his head, shaking it slowly as he adjusted to not being able to do the only thing he wanted to do right then.

_He'll kill her,_ he whispered, nothing but pure horror in his voice. _He'll kill her. _He went over the conversation in his mind for us.

_Jake, buddy,_ Quil warned, but Jake ignored him.

_He won't kill her. He loves her, _I reasoned, but Sam shot us a look that shut us both up.

_He'll kill her,_ Jake repeated one more time, the words sounding broken even in his thoughts. He stared at me for a second, looking accusing, and I knew without hearing his wordless horror that he thought I, too, should be upset at this, as I was the only other member of the pack who liked Bella. But I, unlike Jake, trusted Edward.

_We're going back to La Push now,_ Sam told us, still using the voice of the Alpha. He reached out to listen to the thoughts of someone… hearing Leah's annoyed thoughts from back in the woods by our little row of houses, he continued. _Leah, go pick up Sue and Billy from the wedding so they know everyone's all right._

_The hell I'm going down to the bloodsuckers' crypt!_ she protested, but an order was an order. Sam didn't even bother to respond to her annoyance, and she phased back to her human form so she could drive a few moments later.

_Let's go,_ Sam ordered, and the five of us – Quil and Embry trying not to think about how grossed out they were about what Jake and Bella had been talking about, Sam focusing on making sure we kept our distance from the treaty line, me carefully listening to Jake's thoughts, and Jake still numb with pain – began running back toward La Push.

_I thought it wouldn't make a difference,_ Jake whispered brokenly in my head. _I thought it'd be better if she was dead, so then at least I'd never have to see her as a bloodsucker. But it _does_ make a difference. He's gonna kill her… _Wordless agony ripped through him, and he stumbled and slowed, tripping on his paws clumsily as a tear rolled out of his large brown eye.

A howl in the night.

It was a heartbroken sound, really. Not like anything I'd ever heard before any of this had started. The raw agony behind it was enough to take your breath away, but the pure rage was equally striking. Behind the howl you could hear how furious Jake was, how anguished. It almost broke _my_ heart.


	6. A Conversation on the Beach

**A/N: Hey, it'd be really cool if some of you could review. **

**Okay, thanks.**

**Read and enjoy. **

The next couple weeks were pretty quiet. With Jake home, the glum faces and tense thoughts disappeared, and the pack was able to relax into the relaxation that accompanied summer. Sure, Jake was wandering about the reservation kicking driftwood a hundred feet down the beach, but most of the pack couldn't understand his pain and therefore chose to more or less dismiss it. They figured it'd go away eventually – that the call would come from Charlie that Bella had died of some disease or whatever, and then Jake would mourn a while and then be back to normal.

I wasn't so sure. I'd listened to Jake think about her, and it didn't seem like something he was just going to forget about. Even if Bella _did_ turn vampire. I wasn't sure about _me_, but I was pretty sure I'd be okay with her as a vampire. I didn't have a problem with Edward or the rest of them, so I was pretty confident my friendship with Bella would remain intact after her transformation. But I didn't know about Jake. Worried as I was about him, I came around his house more often than I had before, feeling like I should check up on my only brother who was thinking of Bella.

This particular morning, Jake was sprawled out on a chair on his front porch, scowling at the sky and kicking the deck rhythmically with one bare foot.

"You're gonna put a hole in the deck," I said, grinning as I approached him. His eyes, which had been rather unfocused as he'd glowered at nothing in particular, focused on me and his scowl softened ever so slightly.

"Hey, Seth."

"I'm serious," I continued, stopping at the bottom step of his deck. "Look, you've already worn off the paint." I pointed and he glanced down absent-mindedly at the wood under his left foot. Sure enough, most of the white paint was gone, revealing the wood underneath. He sighed, standing up and stretching.

"I've gotta get outta here," he muttered. "I'm gonna go down to the beach." He leaped inhumanly far off the deck, landing a few feet away from me on the path that lead up to his house. I turned and joined him as he walked slowly toward the ocean. "Escaping Leah?" he asked, and I nodded.

"She's impossible. Remember when she wasn't like that?" I asked. "She used to be sort of okay, didn't she?" He thought for a moment.

"Sorta," he decided. "Not sure my memory goes back quite that far." I laughed a little, and we walked in silence until we reached the sandy line that began the beach. We paced along the edge of the beach, along the hot sand, as he spoke. "Seth?" I looked up at him, squinting into the sun.

"Yeah?"

"When I was… gone… what was she like? I mean…" he fought to express his thoughts correctly. I knew we weren't talking about Leah anymore.

"She called me almost every day," I replied softly. "to find out where you were, if you'd said anything to us." He scowled at the ground, stopping and digging his toes into the sand.

"What did you tell her?" he asked finally.

"That you were in a lot of pain, Jake."

"I bet she was happy about that," he muttered, kicking the ground once before starting up his pacing again.

"Aw, Jake, you know that's not fair. She was all torn up about it, you know that," I insisted, feeling like I had to defend Bella.

"Yeah, I do," he admitted. He paused before continuing. "Sorry she kept bugging you about me."

"Naw, don't be. I liked talking to her," I said, grinning. He frowned, and I arranged my face to an appropriately glum expression, walking with Jake until was time for me to go on patrol with Sam and Leah. I felt bad leaving Jake alone on the beach. When I glanced back he'd stopped walking again; he was just staring out at the ocean, looking like he was searching for something in the water.

Something he already knew he wasn't going to find.


	7. A Call in the Afternoon

"Get me some of that chili, boy," Billy said, handing me his bowl. "I'm too old and weak to get it myself." I laughed.

"Old and weak, huh?" I asked, but I stood and took his bowl anyway. I ladled some into his bowl and passed it to him before getting some for myself. My mom sure did make good chili.

"What am I gonna do about Paul and Rachel, Sue?" Billy asked my mom. Leah was off somewhere, so it was just the three of us sitting in the living room eating chili.

"I don't know, Billy. I don't think there's anything you _can_ do. Be grateful – Paul can't leave La Push, and Rachel won't leave Paul now, so she's stuck here with you," she pointed out. Billy accepted that grudgingly.

"True," he allowed. "But Paul… he's easily angered, if you know what I mean." I laughed.

"That's putting it mildly, Billy," I said.

"Oh, Rachel could have done a lot worse," my mom chided us, and Billy shrugged.

"I guess. At least she's home now. It's so nice having her back finally." The phone rang then.

"Can you get that, Seth?" my mom asked mildly, and I stood and stretched before making my way over to the phone.

"Hello?"

"Seth!" It was Charlie. "Is Billy there? I need to talk to him right now."

My frozen body didn't match the heat that suddenly shot up my spine.

This was the call. But was Jake right? Had Edward actually killed her on their honeymoon? Or was she now immortal? There weren't any other options – my friend Bella was either a vampire or dead now. I felt the slightest tremble in my fingers as I nodded. "Yeah," I said carefully. "He's here."

"Thank God. I've called everywhere in La Push. I need to talk to him, now!" he said urgently.

"Everything okay?"

"Billy, Seth!"

"Right." I walked back to Billy, giving him the phone grimly. "It's Charlie," I said. Billy frowned and took the phone.

"Charlie?" Billy asked. My werewolf ears easily caught Charlie's words as he began to ramble into Billy's ear.

"Billy, it's horrible! Bella just called me, and she sounded so horrible." I breathed out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. So she wasn't dead. She'd survived. I felt the need to run over to Jake's and tell him right away. I knew he'd be upset about her new vampire status, but she wasn't dead, and that had to mean _something_ to him. All the waiting was over now. Billy glanced at my mom and then me, a meaningful look in his eye.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked carefully.

"Well, she insisted she was okay, just sick, but Carlisle got on the phone and told me Bella got some really rare disease in South America. That's where they went for their honeymoon, apparently, and she's got this terrible disease."

"Charlie, that's awful," Billy said in his gravelly voice. My hands were definitely trembling now as I itched to report this both to Jake and to Sam. I wasn't sure about either reaction. Jake was going to be in agony again. And Sam would want to attack, now that the treaty was broken.

So maybe this wasn't such good news after all.

But still better than the alternative, I reminded myself as Charlie continued, the panic obvious in his voice.

"Yeah, it is. Carlisle said it's really serious, but that he was doing everything he could for her. I can't go see her, either. Said she's quarantined. I can't go see her! My own daughter might be dying of some disease and I can't go see her! _He_ can see her, sure, _he_ can stay with her and take care of her, but I can't even visit! I don't _care_ if I get whatever she has. She's my daughter, and I have a right to see her, especially when she's sick. She must be so scared!" He paused for a breath and I stood, ready to phase and get the hell over to Sam the second Charlie hung up.

"I'm so sorry, Charlie," Billy muttered, gripping the phone hard.

"Yeah," Charlie said, sounding defeated. "No visitors. I can't believe he's doing this to me. Can he even do that? Is he allowed to do that?"

"He _is_ a doctor," Billy reasoned.

"I don't care what the hell he is. _I'm _her father," Charlie muttered.

"When did she call you?" Billy asked.

"Oh, on Monday," Charlie said. "I've been insane with worry. I haven't known what to do with myself for days. I just barely pulled it together to call you," he admitted. Days? She'd been home for days? A vampire for days? I tried to imagine Bella with the crimson eyes of a newborn vampire, but I couldn't do it. I stood trembling at the front door, one hand on the doorknob, not wanting to listen but not able to tear myself away. "Talked to her again today, and she sounds even worse than before. She's getting worse, Billy!" The trembling was bad now. My fingers rattled against the doorknob.

Billy looked up at me. "Go," he said, and it didn't feel like an order but a release. I flung the door open, not bothering to shrug out of my shorts or t-shirt as I exploded outward, the tension making it easier than blinking as I began running before my paws even touched the ground. I was sprinting toward the woods where I knew Sam would be with Collin and Brady, running patrol all day.

Running to tell my alpha the news that would break Jake's heart.

But Bella was alive. That had to mean something, right?

I took a deep breath. _Sam!_ I shouted in my head. _I need to talk to you now. _


	8. An Argument in the Woods

_Seth?_ Sam questioned, alarmed at the tone of my thoughts.

_It's happened, Sam. Charlie just called,_ I thought grimly.

_And?_ he demanded.

_Carlisle told Charlie that she was sick_,I explained. I went over the conversation in my head, trying to remember every detail. There was silence from all three of them when I was done. They knew exactly what I knew.

Bella Swan was no longer human.

And Edward had done it.

The treaty was broken.

Sam's howl was laced with urgency and the call of the Alpha. It was an order to get out here. I reached the clearing they'd stopped in just as he howled again.

_But,_ I began, already trying to convince Sam otherwise, _she _wanted_ this, Sam._

_Wait until the others get here. We'll discuss the best course of action,_ he told me, the order there as always. I bristled slightly, annoyed at the strings that all but silenced my thoughts. He could have just told me. He didn't need to take away my will every other second. Sam must have heard the direction of my thoughts, but he was too stressed to comment. I paced, worried about what this would do to Jake. And he'd just come home, too. The guy really couldn't get a break.

Minds joined our tense silence one by one, and the banter began. I heard Jacob join our thoughts and winced, imagining the pain that would soon ensue.

_We need to talk. Something's happened,_ Sam said to them, and the banter shut off as curiosity enveloped their minds. Try as I might, I couldn't help it as my thoughts moved to Jake. I heard Collin, Brady, and Sam's thoughts go in the same direction and wondered what Jake thought. _Seth, tell them what you heard. _After a last moment of banter between Jake and Leah – I wished they would keep it up, so I wouldn't have to report this – I 'spoke.'

_Charlie called around 'til he found Billy at my house,_ I began.

_Yeah, I talked to him,_ Paul agreed, remembering talking to a panicking Charlie at the Blacks' house, but I barely heard the comment as I listened to the jolt go through Jake's thoughts.

_So he's all flipped out,_ I continued. _Guess Edward and Bella got home last week and… _I had to stop, the relief that flooded Jake's thoughts so strong it was overwhelming. Relief that quickly turned into a resigned sort of dread as he waited for what I had to say next.

_Yeah, bro, and here's the bad news. Charlie talked to her, said she sounded bad. _I went through the rest of my report, trying not to forget any details of the conversation, feeling the dread seep through the pack's minds as I finished. There was silence as I finished. No one quite knew what to say. Jake and Leah entered the clearing somewhere in the middle of the thick silence. Paul made room for Jake as Sam's second and Leah sat beside me, nudging me slightly with one large paw.

_Well, what are we waiting for? _Jake asked, and I felt the collective mental cringe as the rest of the pack registered what Jake meant. No one was looking for an unnecessary fight with the vampires. Sure, most of them hated the Cullens, but none of my brothers or Leah were dumb enough to want to pick a fight with them. We'd seen them fight. We knew how talented they were.

How deadly.

Jake didn't see it this way. _Oh, come on! The treaty's broken!_

Sam was hesitant, placating. _We have no proof – maybe she _is_ sick…_

_OH, PLEASE! _Jake shouted, pawing at the ground impatiently.

_Okay, so the circumstantial evidence is pretty strong. Still… Jacob, are you sure this is what you want? Is it really the right thing? We all know what she wanted. _

Jake was livid. _The treaty doesn't mention anything about victim preferences, Sam!_

_Is she really a victim? Would you label her that way?_

_Yes!_ Jake insisted.

_Jake,_ I protested, _they aren't our enemies. _I thought of Edward, fighting beside me in the clearing against Victoria. No, they were most definitely not our enemies. Or people it would be wise to pick a fight with.

_Shut up, kid! Just 'cause you've got some kind of sick hero worship thing going on with that bloodsucker, it doesn't change the law. They are our enemies. They are in our territory. We take them out. I don't care if you had fun fighting alongside Edward Cullen once upon a time._ I bristled.

_So what are you going to do when Bella fights with them, Jacob? Huh? _I demanded, angry. I wasn't just defending Bella. I was defending the coven.

Because it was right. They'd done nothing wrong. We existed to protect the innocent, and that was exactly what I was doing.

_She's not Bella anymore._ I again conjured up the image of Bella, blood red eyes and all. But Jake was wrong. She was still Bella, she was just… different now. Less fragile, I hoped, at least.

_You gonna be the one to take her down?_ I asked, and he shrunk visibly from the idea. _No, you're not. So, what? You gonna make one of us do it? And then hold a grudge against whoever it is forever?_

_I wouldn't…_ he began, but he couldn't complete the thought.

_Sure you won't. You're not ready for this fight, Jacob._ That was too much for Jake, who immediately crouched forward, snarling at me. I just stared back at him.

_Jacob! Seth, shut up for a second,_ Sam ordered. I nodded, ready to comply now that I'd made my point. No need to attack anyone.

Quil joined us then, wondering what he'd missed, and Jake filled him in with his version of the plan, which included attacking the Cullens immediately. Sam corrected this quickly.

_Jacob, I have to think about what's best for this pack. I have to choose the course that protects you all best. Times have changed since our ancestors made that treaty. I… well, I don't honestly believe that the Cullens are a danger to us. _Duh, I thought to myself quietly before listening to Sam continue. _And we know that they will not be here much longer. Surely once they've told their story, they will disappear. Our lives can return to normal._

_Normal?_ Jake scoffed.

_If we challenge them, Jacob, they will defend themselves well._

_Are you afraid?_ Jake challenged him.

_Are you so ready to lose a brother? _ Sam demanded. _Or a sister?_ he added, in a gesture I found rather thoughtful toward my sister.

_I'm not afraid to die._

_I know that, Jacob. It's one reason I question your judgment on this._

_Do you intend to honor our fathers' treaty or not?_ Jake's voice was black with fury.

_I honor my pack. I do what's best for them._

_Coward._ Sam's lips curled back at Jake.

_Enough, Jacob. You're overruled. The pack is not attacking the Cullens without provocation. The spirit of the treaty remains. They are not a danger to our people, nor are they a danger to the people of Forks. Bella Swan made an informed choice, and we are not going to punish our former allies for her choice._

Relief flooded through me now that I was sure I wasn't going to have to attack my friends. _Hear, hear!_ I cheered mentally.

_I thought I told you to shut it, Seth._

Oops. _Oops. Sorry, Sam._

_Jacob, where do you think you're going?_ Sam thought as Jake began leaving the circle of wolves. He turned his back on Sam angrily, and I did feel bad for him. Jake had not only just received confirmation that the love of his life was now a member of an enemy species, he wasn't allowed to avenge that transformation.

_I'm going to tell my father goodbye. Apparently there was no purpose in me sticking around this long. _

_Aw, Jake, don't do that again!_ I begged, not wanting to lose him again so quickly.

_Shut up, Seth, _Paul, Jared, and Sam reminded me in unison, and I did.

_We don't want you to leave,_ Sam told Jake softly, echoing my intent.

_So force me to stay, Sam. Take away my will. Make me a slave._ Jake's thoughts were unbelievably bitter.

_You know I won't do that._

_Then there's nothing more to say._ He turned, sprinting through the woods away from us. A flicker of something entered Jake's thoughts, but it was gone in a second; he was thinking of the long months of wolf life ahead of him, of the pains of living as a predator, of the hunting and the running and the eating. There was something strange about the way he was thinking of this – he was concentrating too hard. I guess he was just trying to block out any other thoughts.

Thoughts of, for example, Bella Swan, perfectly white, impossibly cold, and red-eyed.

I might not have agreed with Jake, might not have wanted the revenge he so desperately craved, but I understood what he was feeling. Because as much as I liked the vampires, I just couldn't quite bring myself to imagine Bella as one of them.


	9. A Crash in the Store

Most of us phased back, leaving those who were on patrol in their wolf forms to run with Sam. I didn't have any clothes, having destroyed them leaving my house on the way here, so I walked back with Embry, as his house, sitting atop the store his mom ran, was closest to our meeting point in the woods.

"Jake's pretty messed up about this," I muttered dejectedly, wondering what he was doing about it right now. Something about the tone of his thoughts had worried me. The desperation behind the simple recollections of hunting and surviving.

"Yeah," Embry agreed. "He's gonna leave again."

"I wish he'd stay," I said, and Embry nodded.

"Yeah, me too, man. La Push just isn't the same without Jake, you know?" I did. I'd kind of always looked up to Jake, even before we'd become werewolves and everything.

"Where do you think he's gonna go?" I asked Embry as we neared his house. He thought about it for a second.

"Hold on," he said, entering the back door of the store. I heard him jog up the stairs and open a drawer. He came out a few seconds later with a pair of sweatpants, which he tossed at me. I caught them and pulled them on.

"Thanks," I said, following him into the back room of the store. Embry grabbed a soda and tossed it to me, opening one himself.

"I don't know where he's gonna go. Back to Canada, I guess. There are lots of mountains there, right? So good places for him to hide and all," Embry reasoned, jumping up to sit on the counter along the side of the room. I sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall. Before we'd all learned the truth of our tribe's history, before the legends had become real, Embry had been a family friend. He'd been a guy to hang out with when our families all got together every weekend, someone I'd play basketball with at the beach if I saw him or wave to at our small school. But I probably wouldn't have just wandered into his store to hang. Something about turning into a wolf with someone every night brought you closer together. It was harder to have normal friends now, but it didn't matter so much because I had eight ready-made brothers whose homes were as open to me as my own.

"No, I mean now," I clarified. "Right now." I thought again of Jake's thoughts. Embry frowned.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Do you think he's just gonna leave? Think he's just gonna let this go?"

"He doesn't have a choice," Embry said slowly. "He can't ignore Sam's edict." That was true. I thought hard, trying to figure out what had bothered me so much about Jake's thoughts. Suddenly the door opened at the other end of the store room.

"Embry?" Embry's mom called. "Oh, hi, Seth. Billy just came down, and he seems upset. He was gonna get on the phone with someone, said he needed to find one of Sam's friends, any one of you guys, but I said you were back here. Can you go see what he needs?" Embry glanced at me, and I was thinking the same thing.

What had Jake done now? I got up and followed Embry out of the back room. Billy was waiting there, sitting in his chair, an ashen expression on his face. Embry stumbled to a halt, seeing Billy's expression. A similar one crossed Embry's face, and I could only imagine what mine looked like.

"Jake?" Embry asked. Billy glanced around stealthily, but there wasn't anyone else in the store except Embry's mom and one other customer, who were talking in the front rather loudly now.

"He's gone," Billy said grimly.

"Gone where?" Embry demanded. His fingers gripped a shelf and I saw it strain under the pressure he was putting on it.

"He didn't say, but I'm certain he's going to the… the Cullens' house… to fight Edward. If you guys are here, and not phased, I assume Sam forbid that?" Billy demanded. Embry glanced wildly at me, gripping the shelf harder. It snapped in two, and the tea cups that had been sitting on it crashed to the ground, shattering into a million pieces, piercing my poor, recently healed, bare feet painfully. I ignored the pain.

"Yes," I whispered, answering Billy's question. "Yeah, he did."

"Embry?" Embry's mom called, starting to walk back to us, weaving in and out of displays. Embry looked back at Billy quickly.

"Are you sure?" he asked hurriedly.

"He disconnected my phone so I'd have to wheel down here to get someone to tell Sam. He doesn't want the pack stopping him." Billy paused and then nodded. "I'm sure." Embry cussed under his breath, running a hand through his hair.

"Mom, I gotta go. Sorry about the tea cups, I'll pay you for them later," he muttered, tripping over the words as they slurred together in his haste. "I'll get Sam, Billy. We'll get Jake," he promised, but Billy didn't look hopeful, and for good reason. "Let's go," he told me, and we were outta there. I yanked his sweats off as I all but fell out of the back door, leaving them lying by the wall as I launched myself at the woods, going wolf fast. Embry pulled off his shorts and shirt in record time and was right on my heels.

_SAM!_ Our thoughts yelled together. _SAM SAM SAM!!!_

_What?_ he asked, startled. Neither Embry nor I could form words to explain where Jake had gone, what had happened. The dread was too strong, too overwhelming. If Jake attacked the coven alone…

Well, he wouldn't win. He might have had a chance fighting two or three of them. If Edward couldn't hear his thoughts and Alice couldn't tell the future. Maybe.

There was no way he could win a fight against the whole coven.

Sam heard our conversation with Billy and, through his thoughts, I heard him snarl wildly, the curse words almost able to be heard through his wolfy muzzle. Then he howled, the sound more commanding even than before. It was an order, an edict. It was the call of the Alpha, and no member of the pack who heard it would question for a second the urgency behind it.

_Are we gonna go get him?_ I asked.

_I can't believe he circumvented my orders that way. I told him there was no infraction to the treaty. We decided as a pack not to attack the vampires,_ Sam thought, ignoring my question entirely. _If he attacks, the treaty will be broken. What will we do? _Minds joined us one by one until there were nine minds thinking in unison. Everyone was horrified. Everyone knew what would happen if Jake attacked the Cullens. Only Sam was thinking not of Jake's safety but of the status of the treaty.

_Paul, go to Jacob's house so you can tell Billy and Rachel if we get news of him,_ Sam ordered finally, and Paul complied quickly, sprinting alongside the border of the town to Jake's house. I felt numb. This couldn't be happening. Jake wasn't so dumb. It was a suicide mission. The coven wouldn't let him fight only Edward. They'd fight with Edward, and they'd take Jake out if need be. I knew they wouldn't want to kill him, but if he put any one of them in danger, all of them would attack.

And he wouldn't survive.

_We have to go get him,_ I insisted.

_Seth, shut up. We can't just go attacking a coven unprovoked,_ Sam replied, pacing quickly, a steady growl leaving his mouth.

_Duh. I don't want to fight the Cullens; you know that, Sam. But we don't have to attack. If we could just go and get him, bring him back here…_

_We can't go anywhere near there. Bella is a newborn vampire. They're dangerous,_ Jared said. _And we can't all go on their land like this. We can't break the treaty. Even if Jake breaks it, we can't. _

_They'll kill him,_ I whispered. Embry growled in agreement with me, and Quil whined, coming up to stand next to me and Embry.

_We cannot break the treaty yet,_ Sam decided. _Jacob hasn't even phased. There hasn't been a fight yet – he wouldn't fight a vampire in his human form. If he phases and there's reason to think he's in danger, we'll re-evaluate. _

_Re-evaluate? By the time we got down there, it would be too late, Sam. You have to chose – Jacob or the treaty?_ I demanded, stepping forward. Jared snarled at me, his ears flat back as he adjusted his stance aggressively toward me. You didn't question the Alpha. Embry and Quil moved up beside me, in agreement with my way of thinking rather than Sam and Jared's, but all three of us knew it didn't matter. Sam was the Alpha. He didn't have to listen to us at all.

_This isn't your choice to make, Seth. The treaty protects our families, our tribe. We cannot break it lightly. We will stay here and wait for Jacob to phase. I'll order him to retreat immediately,_ Sam snarled, the fury in his voice making me stumble back half a step. I fell into silence, and we paced, tense as we waited for Jake's mind to join us. What was he still doing human? He wouldn't have dared fighting them human, would he?

_No_, Embry whispered. _But they might not have given him the chance to…_ He shuddered, not finishing his thought, and the silent pacing continued.


	10. Another Argument in the Woods

Suddenly a tenth mind joined our nine freaking-out ones.

_Jake! Jacob, Jake, Jake…_ we breathed in unison, relief erasing the anger in some of the others' minds. Paul faded out to report to Billy and Rachel that Jake wasn't dead, at least.

_Come home NOW,_ Sam ordered as the Alpha, livid.

But before anyone could ask what had happened, we saw Jake's thoughts.

Bella, her stomach covered in bruises, swollen and weak.

Her hands fluttering pathetically to her stomach, almost cradling the sickly swollen bulge there.

Her raspy voice, barely able to speak at all.

Rosalie, the fierce blonde one, crouching defensively near Bella, looking as if she were ready to attack members of her own coven.

Edward, looking more dead than Bella, his eyes lifeless, hopeless.

There were no words. There was nothing but silent shock in the nine members of the pack as we sifted wordlessly through Jake's thoughts. Even Jake was barely able to think it.

Finally, Sam turned to us, motioning with his huge head, and we began running to meet Jake as we processed the information we'd just been given.

Bella was pregnant. But how could she possibly have been _that_ pregnant? And what the hell was it doing to her? But I knew the answer.

It was killing her.

We reached the clearing right before Jake, and Paul met up with us then, too. The anger of the pack's thoughts was still wordless, but it was overwhelming in its power. And I knew then what they were thinking. Even without the words, it was obvious that they weren't frightened for _Bella's_ sake. They weren't concerned for her health, weren't horrified by what it was doing to her.

They were horrified by what the thing would do once it was out of her. They were angry, they were terrified, sure.

But they were going to attack the Cullens. They were going to destroy it before it could destroy us. I realized this with a sudden wave of revulsion, as it was obvious that destroying the thing in Bella would destroy her, too. And she wasn't vampire yet. You couldn't piece her back together. And the rest of the coven – who would we kill trying to protect ourselves?

The pack began circling around the clearing, growling and snarling as they began thinking together, already furiously planning and deciding. Unable to join them, I moved to Jake's side. His thoughts were in line with mine, although he wasn't quite caught up to me. Confusion colored his thoughts, and he swayed, dazed, in the middle of the circle of wolves. I leaned against him, supporting him silently as the pack began yelling in our heads.

_How can this be? What does it mean? What will it be?_ Jared.

_Not safe. Not right. Dangerous._ Paul.

_Unnatural. Monstrous. _Leah.

_An abomination._ Collin.

_We can't allow it._ Sam. _The treaty does not cover this. _

_This puts everyone in danger._ Leah again. I sat beside Jake, listening to his confusion. Soon, he, too, would realize the plan that was beginning to form in the minds of the pack. And he wouldn't be revolted by the idea just because of loyalty and friendship, as I was. He was in love with one of them.

_They fear it, too,_ Brady pointed out.

_But they won't do anything about it,_ Jared continued, disgusted.

_Protecting Bella Swan,_ Paul practically spat.

_We can't let that influence us,_ Jared agreed.

_The safety of our families, of everyone here, is more important than one human,_ Sam decided firmly.

_If they won't kill it, we have to, _Paul insisted.

_Protect the tribe. _Jared.

_Protect our families._ Leah.

_We have to kill it before it's too late. No time to waste, _Jared thought.

_It will mean a fight. A bad one,_ Embry thought, unsure.

_We're ready,_ Paul replied.

_We'll need surprise on our side, _Sam continued planning.

_If we catch them divided, we can take them down separately. It will increase our chances of victory._ They were talking about murder now. That was nothing but cold-blooded murder. The Cullens had so recently been our allies, and now they were strategizing the best ways to murder them. Jake stood unsteadily, trying to stay on his feet, but he was disoriented, and he swayed again. I moved, propping him up with my shoulder, keeping him up so he could fight against this insanity.

_Wait,_ Jake begged, leaning against me heavily. Everyone paused, registering us in the center as if for the first time, before continuing to circle.

_There's little time_, Sam disagreed.

_But – what are you thinking? You wouldn't attack them for breaking the treaty this afternoon. Now you're planning an ambush, when the treaty is still intact?_ Jake accused. It seemed so long ago that Sam had decided not to attack the Cullens. The conversations continued, Jake pleading with Sam and the rest cautioning against the danger of this unknown creature. Jake attempted to convince them that Bella was the only one in danger, that her baby was not of concern to us. I could tell it wasn't working on Sam.

_We can't take that chance. We won't allow a blood drinker to hunt on our lands,_ he decided.

_Then tell them to leave!_ I suggested desperately, shoving Jake up farther as he faltered again.

_And inflict the menace on others? When blood drinkers cross our land, we destroy them, no matter where they plan to hunt. We protect everyone we can._ Except, apparently, innocent families who had done nothing to us at all except exist a few degrees colder than us. This was absurd. I fought to keep Jake standing, trying to find the words to express my horror to Sam.

_This is crazy. This afternoon you were afraid to put the pack in danger_, Jake pointed out.

_This afternoon I didn't know our families were at risk._

_I can't believe this! How're you going to kill this creature without killing Bella?_ Jake demanded, and the silence that followed the question was worse than any answer because Jake suddenly realized what had made me feel so sick before.

There would be no sparing of Bella in our attack. Jake howled with agony and rage. _She's human, too! Doesn't our protection apply to her?_

_She's dying anyway. We'll just shorten the process,_ Leah pointed out. I growled quietly, but that was it for Jake. He flung his huge body toward her, baring his teeth aggressively. I was torn between loyalty toward my sister and fury at her words, but Sam sunk his teeth into Jake, yanking him away from Leah violently. Jake howled again, this time in pain, before turning on Sam.

_Stop!_ Sam ordered, and Jake shuddered to a stop, his head bowing dangerously close to the ground as he fought to stay upright under Sam's edict.

_You will not be cruel to him, Leah,_ Sam thought. _Bella's sacrifice is a heavy price, and we will all recognize that._ A heavy price? We were murdering her in cold blood. That was more than a heavy price. That was simply wrong, whoever or whatever she was. _It is against everything we stand for to take a human life. Making an exception to that code is a bleak thing. We will all mourn for what we do tonight._ Tonight? Stunned, I felt a surprised whine escape my lips.

_Tonight? _I repeated. _Sam – I think we should talk about this some more. Consult with the Elders, at least. You can't seriously mean for us to – _

Sam would have none of my compassion. _We can't afford your tolerance for the Cullens now. There is no time for debate. You will do as you are told, Seth._ And that was it. It was the voice of the Alpha, and there was no amount of willpower, no amount of loyalty or friendship or compassion that would change that. The Alpha had spoken.

I was born to comply to his wishes.

Unable to keep my head held high, my nose dipped to the ground, and I felt my body bow to my Alpha and his commands. The disloyalty and betrayal was physically painful as I imagined attacking my friends. I felt sick at the idea of attacking the coven.

But what could I do? Words flowed past me as the rest began to strategize, but I barely heard them, unable to straighten from under Sam's command. I knelt before Sam like a slave, bowing low, powerless and weak.

Leah stood, and I watched as Collin and Brady followed her as she began to plan the fight. I felt my legs pull me to a standing position without a conscious decision to do so. I dragged behind the two younger wolves, not listening to Leah as she strategized and planned. Instead, I shook out my coat, Sam's command feeling odd in my head as every feeling there struggled against it. But it was no use. There was nothing I could do but follow the order of my Alpha.

Who would I kill tonight?

I heard a commotion from behind me, saw my brothers turn to face something, but the hollow ache of the coming betrayal kept me where I was, unable to be interested in anything else going on. I tried to stand straighter, tried to adjust to the feeling of having no will, but it was difficult.

Suddenly a pull in my head caused me to yelp quietly. I jumped, skittering backward in shock as I saw Sam and Jake snarling at each other.

The tone of Sam's voice was threatening, but it had another odd quality to it. It sounded almost hollow, weightless. Never had his words held so little power. What had happened while I struggled under his orders? _There cannot be more than one Alpha. The pack has chosen me. Will you rip us apart tonight? Will you turn on your brothers? Or will you end this insanity and join us again? _I understood with frightening clarity then what had happened. Jacob, Jacob _Black_, was standing straight and tall, the grandson of Ephraim Black, the power in his stance unmistakable.

_There is only one Alpha for this pack. I'm not contesting that. I'm just choosing to go my own way,_ Jake replied, and his voice, too, was changed. The power behind it was greater than ever before. What did this mean?

_Do you belong to a coven now, Jacob?_ Sam asked.

_I don't know, Sam. But I do know this – I will stand between you and the Cullens. I won't just watch while the pack kills innocent people. The pack is better than that. Lead them in the right direction, Sam. _Jacob's voice was strong and clear, and as he said this, as he turned and ran from us, as the pack's heads rose as one to howl tragically into the night at the loss of their brother, I felt something slip from my mind. The despair that had settled there was gone, as were the strings that had pulled me forward despite my own opinions.

Because there was another option now. There was another Alpha, and he was more true and more right than Sam had ever been for the job.

And, of course, he was right, where Sam was wrong.

Hope surged through me as I stood, abandoning the forest floor on which I had knelt so uselessly. I turned once to see the shock on my sister's face before facing Sam. I no longer felt the powerful pull toward his thoughts, no longer felt loyal to him as an Alpha. The strings that had pulled me in the wrong direction fell from my shoulders as I squared them. _Bye,_ I thought quietly to Sam as I turned and ran from my brothers and sister, from my pack. Sam's howl held no power for me.

Because he wasn't my Alpha anymore.

Jake was.


	11. An Explanation in a Minute

It wasn't difficult to convince Jake I was staying with him. Sure, he'd been mad at first. He didn't want to lead a pack, I knew that. But he also didn't want to take my will away from me. He'd seen firsthand tonight how much that sucked, and he wasn't going to do it to me.

So that was that. It was strange, running the perimeter of a new territory, guarding vampires from my own brothers. Strange to only have the company of Jake in my head. Lonely in a way, as there'd always been someone to chat with and I sure did like to talk, but nice, too, I decided finally. It was just me and Jake, but if I was going to share thoughts with someone, Jake wasn't a bad choice. Better than Sam, who'd been so wrong tonight, or Leah – _that_ thought made me shudder.

As I sprinted in a wide arc through the woods surrounding the Cullens', I couldn't help but feel full of hope. Sure, Bella's future looked kind of bleak, but she had a plan for that. And sure, we had no idea what the thing _in_ her was, but we had a while for that one. And yeah, I'd abandoned my pack today, but there had never been a better reason to do so. I actually agreed with my Alpha now, and I knew we were doing the right thing. I was doing what I was born to do – protecting the innocent in the most dire of situations.

This was gonna work. With two members of Sam's pack gone, with two more on the Cullens' side, and with them forewarned, there was no way Sam would attack now. We'd diffused the threat, and now we just had to hang for a while and keep watch for the Cullens. So, for me, the dark night was filled with hope.

_Nobody out here. All's quiet on the western front,_ I told Jake as I made my way back to the Cullens' yard. It didn't feel weird to report to him; it felt natural, like that's what I was always supposed to do. Which, I guess, technically, I was.

_They may go around,_ he cautioned wearily.

_I'll make a loop,_ I decided, continuing past the house to the woods on the other side. I heard Jake tell Edward he was going to join me.

_I'm still not finding much,_ I reported, sniffing the air and smelling only woods and vampire.

_I'll take half the circle. Move fast – we don't want them to have a chance to sneak past us._ I sped up, flying through the thick trees. I felt Jake listening to my thoughts, making sure I didn't miss anything, but I didn't mind much. I just listened to his thoughts, doing the same for him.

Suddenly the sound of footfalls entered the area. Where the hell had that come from? One second the air had been silent, and the next – _Hey – something coming up fast!_ I warned Jake.

_On my way,_ he thought, turning.

_Hold your position – I don't think it's the pack. It sounds different._

_Seth – _

The breeze changed then, and the air burned my nose and throat. Ah. _Vampire. Bet it's Carlisle,_ I decided, sniffing more. Yeah, it was definitely his smell. Him and his wife, I was pretty positive.

_Seth, fall back. It might be someone else,_ Jake warned, but I shook my head.

_No, it's them. I recognize the scent. Hold up, I'm going to phase to explain it to them._

Jake obviously didn't like that idea. _Seth, I don't think – _But he didn't need to worry about me. I trusted Carlisle and Esme. I phased quickly and called out to them.

"Carlisle?" The woods were silent as he and Esme froze, not breathing or moving as they turned into vampire statues. "Carlisle, it's Seth Clearwater, from the pack," I called again.

"Seth?" He came into view, Esme behind him. Suddenly I remembered I was naked. I thought of Embry's discarded borrowed sweatpants and sighed, realizing I didn't have any clothes. Moving behind a bush discreetly, I waved at them energetically. They looked rather stunned to see me, and I didn't blame them. Here I was, without anyone else from the pack, _naked_, on their territory, and for no apparent reason.

"Yeah. Can I talk to you guys for a minute?" He nodded.

"Of course." Carlisle was a good guy, really.

"So, uh," I began, not quite sure how to explain this to them. "After Jake visited Bella and saw what was wrong with her, he came back to the pack to report. Sam got real upset, and the whole pack kind of decided the best plan of action was to attack you guys and kill the thing." Carlisle's eyes narrowed, but he listened quietly as I continued, talking as fast as I could get the words out. "He was all serious about it and everything, real bad news. Guess he thought Bella's kid would be a danger to our people or something. But Jake didn't want to do that, 'cause attacking you guys isn't right – you're not doing anything wrong, and Sam wanted to kill Bella, too, which he obviously wasn't okay with. And, see, Jake's grandfather was the last chief of the tribe, so he really should have been the Alpha, not Sam. Sam's only our Alpha 'cause he was the first to phase, back in the beginning. Because Jake's got all the Alpha blood in him and everything, he was able to disobey Sam's edict, but that meant he had to leave the pack." Carlisle frowned then. "I followed him, 'cause I didn't want to attack you guys any more than he did. So… we're not part of the pack anymore, we're off on our own. But we've got your backs. We're running the perimeter, making sure Sam and the rest don't get anywhere near you guys." I stopped, and Carlisle and Esme were silent as they digested this new information.

"Thank you for telling us this. And thank you for the sacrifice you had to make tonight. I don't take that lightly, Seth," Carlisle said finally. "I know how important your pack is to you." I nodded, thinking of Jake, who was probably freaking right now.

"Uh, so Jake's waiting for me out there, and he doesn't know what's going on with me, so I should probably…"

"Of course. Phase, and tell him how grateful we are for your sacrifice and protection," he said, nodding. "We need to return home to speak with our family immediately."

"See ya," I muttered, twisting away and starting to run back toward Jake and our circle even as I phased. _Yep, Carlisle and Esme. Boy, were they surprised to see me! They're probably inside by now. Carlisle said thanks, _I reported to a relieved Jacob.

_He's a good guy._

_Yeah,_ I agreed. _That's one of the reasons why we're right about this._

_Hope so._ Jake still sounded pretty dejected, and I didn't get it. Sam wasn't attacking tonight, I was fairly positive about that. I asked him about it, and the reason was suddenly obvious in his thoughts.

_Oh. This isn't about Sam so much, is it? You think Bella's going to die anyway,_ I guessed softly.

_Yeah, she is._ I slowed for a second, digesting that.

_Poor Edward. He must be crazy._

_Literally. _As Jake thought of Edward, he pictured a conversation they'd had earlier. I caught bits of it as Jake's memories played in his head. And I was shocked as I heard the agreement they'd made. Jake was going to kill Edward once Bella was dead? The outrageousness of the agreement set me howling.

_Oh, man! No way! You did not! That just plain ol' sucks rocks, Jacob! And you know it, too! I can't believe you said you'd kill him. What _is_ that? You have to tell him no!_

_Shut up, shut up, you idiot! They're going to think the pack is coming!_ he reminded me, and I did shut up.

_Oops._ Still, that sucked. I knew Jake's biggest tie to the coven was Bella, and I knew he had some grudging admiration for the doctor, but I was friends with Edward. I was _so_ not letting Jake just go _off_ him once Bella died. _If_ Bella died.

_Just keep out of this, Seth,_ Jake warned. _Take the whole circle for now. _I followed him in his thoughts, running his section of the circle as he moved inward to tell the Cullens that my howling wasn't the pack. What would he tell them I was howling about? Would he face Carlisle and tell him I was mad at him for telling Edward he'd kill him? Doubted it, somehow.


	12. A Void in his Head

Jacob told me to go to sleep sometime around one. Exhausted by the day's running but still pleased overall, I changed back to my human form for a little thought-privacy and curled up under a tree. It was kind of cold at night in the forest, even though it was still summer, but I didn't have any clothes, so I just huddled against my chosen tree.

Today had been one of the more… enlightening days of my life. For the first time since becoming a werewolf, I'd realized that Sam _didn't_ have complete control over my life. Sure, now Jake did instead, but it was different with Jake. I felt like I was actually helping to make decisions. I felt useful instead of just used.

But I still missed the pack. I missed Sam, despite the mind games, and Leah, despite the bitterness, and the rest of my brothers, despite our disagreements. True, I was currently defending the Cullens _against_ the rest of my old pack, but that didn't mean I was really against them. Just that I was against their current choice.

They were still my brothers.

There was still a hollow place in my head where eight more voices were supposed to be chattering.

I thought about my mom, wondering what she thought about this. Chances were she didn't even know. It wasn't like Leah was going to tell her anything, and she was used to me being out all night. I tried to picture her reaction in the morning when she realized I wasn't coming home and then quickly decided to think about something else. My mom was one of the toughest people I knew. She'd be fine.

I heard Jake somewhere in the distance, running the circle. Even at this time of night, even after everything that had happened today, he was running steadily. I marveled at his strength, but even as I did I knew that wasn't the whole story. I'd been in his head – I knew what it was like in there. Jake was still hurting. Bella wasn't dead or a vampire, but Jacob knew that soon she'd be one of the two. Now he just had to sit around and watch it happen, something he'd never anticipated having to do.

I'd never been in love. Sure, I'd had a girlfriend on the Res for a while. She was this girl in my homeroom, Lily, and she'd been really pretty and really nice and funny and everything. But she was just this girl I hung out with, someone to eat lunch with and occasionally call at night. I'd hung out at her house, she'd been over to mine… but I'd pretty much forgotten about her once the whole wolf thing had started, and I'd come home one day from patrol to find a text waiting for me: "wuts up with u? u never call nemore or nething. am I that boring?" I'd squinted at the phone to decipher the words, wondering tiredly why no one remembered how to spell anymore, before passing out on my bed. When I woke up in the morning there'd been another one: "u see? thats kinda my point. wutever seth… see u around or something i guess."

Honestly, I'd been a little relieved. I had absolutely no time anymore for anyone, especially not someone to whom I could never tell the truth about anything important in my life, but I wasn't exactly looking forward to breaking up with Lily.

So, clearly, I'd never felt the way Jake did about a girl. But I'd heard a lot in his head, and I didn't really need to empathize to be able to sympathize. I didn't want to think about how Jake was going to feel whenever this played out the way it was going to. I was pretty sure Bella was going to go vampire, so personally it wasn't that much of a crisis for me (Edward was great, and he was a vampire, so surely Bella'd be great as one, too), but I knew Jake didn't think of it quite that way.

For me, the cold, dark forest was only that way because it was night. I'd wake up at dawn and it'd once again be warm and bright and filled with hope.

But for Jake, I was pretty sure the breaking of the dawn would bring nothing but the start of another day, cold, dark, and very devoid of anything resembling hope at all.


	13. A Sister in the Mix

Sprinting as a wolf was one of the best feelings ever. I absolutely loved not thinking about anything but the green streaking past and not feeling anything but the wind and the leaves and the sticks brush my fur as I streaked past.

It was restful, or at least as restful as life got these days.

I heard Jake curl up, still wolf, to go to sleep; stepping up my speed, I took a deep breath.

And choked on it as I inhaled the one scent I'd been dreading. I stumbled to a halt, tipping forward dangerously – scrambling against the forest floor for traction – slamming into a bush as I threw my head high into the air – letting out a piercing howl laced with panic and urgency and _Jake get your butt over here!_

There was an intruder on our land – someone from the pack was here.

I squared my shoulders, letting my lip curl backward menacingly, trying not to think about fighting whichever brother was running toward me at breakneck speed. This was my land now, and the Cullens could be on it, and I could be on it, and Jake, and that was it.

My paws flexed where I stood frozen, the claws there scratching into the wood I'd been standing on and splintering it. I took another breath, filled with the scent of wolf, and wished Jake would hurry.

_Morning, boys,_ came a voice in my head. A shocked whine escaped my lips as I skipped back a step, tripping over my paws.

And then I snarled in unison with Jake as I realized who the owner of the thought was.

_Oh, man! Go away, Leah!_ I complained, howling again.

_Cut the noise, Seth,_ Jake reminded me.

_Right. Ugh, ugh, ugh!_ I complained, unable to stop the whimper of annoyance that came from my mouth as I pawed angrily at the ground in front of me. What the heck was my sister doing here?

Leah appeared then, a small, grey wolf winding around the bushes and trees of the forest. She entered the clearing slowly.

_Stop whining, Seth. You're such a baby,_ she scolded me. In response, Jake growled at her, and Leah stumbled backwards a few steps.

_What do you think you're doing, Leah?_ Jake asked. That was the million dollar question, in fact.

_It's pretty obvious, isn't it? I'm joining your crappy little renegade pack. The vampires' guard dogs. _She barked a laugh, but she was the only one laughing. First of all, crappy little renegade pack? We were hardly crappy – we'd successfully prevented Sam's attack!

And Leah was so not joining it.

_No, you're not. Turn around before I rip out one of your hamstrings_, Jake replied, still growling lowly.

_Like you could catch me. Wanna race, O fearless leader?_

I wanted to race. So I could pull her spleen out through her muzzle with my claws.

Jake huffed very loudly and then turned _to_ me. _Seth, go let the Cullens know that it's just your _stupid_ sister. I'll deal with this._ I nodded my big head.

_On it!_ I replied, turning and sprinting out of there before I killed my sister. I couldn't believe she was here. What was her problem? Didn't she realize she was unwelcome here?

I heard her mention to Jake that she was here to, what, protect me or something? I almost laughed at that one. In all her years of living, Leah had never once been the protective sister type. There was no way she was here because of me. There was something else going on there.

I reached the Cullen house then. Edward was standing inside, but he was watching out the window for me. I'd expected him to look a little panicked or at least nervous, since he probably thought by this point that there was a pack invasion, but he was just standing there, his hands hanging limply at his sides, his shoulders hunched slightly.

He had absolutely no expression. No smile, no frown, no worried wrinkle in his forehead. He was smooth as glass.

And then I got a little closer and saw his eyes.

Man, this guy was _dead_.

_Hey, Edward. Sorry about that. We thought there was an invader from the pack, and there sort of was, but it was just my sister Leah. She actually wants to join me and Jake's pack now. I don't know if we can convince her to leave – she's real annoying – but either way, she's not gonna attack you guys. You're still good,_ I explained to Edward, trying to make the "she's real annoying" part as loud as possible. There was no nod, no answering comment, no wave. He just didn't move.

_Wow, he looks bad,_ I commented quietly to my pack. I remembered then that, of course, Edward heard that, too, but he just turned slowly from the window and walked back into the house, disappearing around a corner in a few seconds.

I huffed loudly, upset that Edward looked so dead and wondering if Bella was still okay, before turning to run back to Jake and Leah. It didn't sound like Leah was going to leave. I decided that it might actually be okay if she stayed – we could push the perimeter of our land out because we'd have an extra person, plus Sam was down another fighter, so there was really no way he'd attack now.

Everything was still going to be okay.


	14. A Sister in the Mix Part Deux

So Leah was staying. It was a little bit about me – somewhere deep in the folds of her mind, past where I heard every day, she did love me. I knew that. But the real reason was that she no longer had to sit in Sam's Emily-obsessed mind all day. And, really, I couldn't be angry with her for that. She annoyed the hell out of me – out of all of us – but I did feel sorry for her sometimes. More than the rest of the pack, I think, because she was my sister and I saw every night what Sam did to her. We would be running as wolves for Sam, back when we'd been with Sam, and we'd change back and she'd go right home. Most of us would hang with the pack for a while, usually at Sam's, but she'd never stay.

And I'd be the one to go home to her and find her just sitting on her bed, her chin resting on her knees, staring at her wall. Our mom would look at me like, _do_ something, but what could I do? Sam was in love with Emily, and Leah was in love with Sam, and neither of those facts were going to change.

Sam had unwittingly burned the light out of Leah, and I was left with the smoldering ashes.

So yeah, she was annoying, and yeah, it'd been more peaceful before her entrance into our renegade pack, but I wasn't all that bitter about it. Jake had let me stay, which was all I really cared about.

_Thanks_, I heard Leah mutter from somewhere on the other side of the circle. It was just us running – Jake was inside the Cullens' place, human, visiting Bella and checking in and all.

_Yeah,_ I replied. I honestly hadn't been aware that she'd been listening to me.

_Do you often compare me to the burnt remains of things?_ she asked, only half-kidding.

_Nah,_ I replied, still sprinting. _Usually it's callous shrews or, like, friendless toads._

I heard her chuckle through her thoughts, the sound funny through her muzzle. _Good to know, little brother. _

_Any time._ She was all right, Leah.

_Okay, you can shut up on the reflecting crap now, Seth. I get it; you'd hate me if you weren't biologically connected to me, but this arbitrary connection ensures your absolute adoration toward me. _

Well, sometimes she was all right, anyway.

_Hey, what did you write in that note for mom? _ I asked, thinking of her as I neared the boundary with wolf territory.

_Such a mama's boy,_ Leah thought back, shaking her head.

_Just curious,_ I replied.

_I said your idol-worshipping of the great Jacob Black landed you a position in a separate pack from La Push as guard dog for the vamps, and that I was going after you to make sure you didn't turn into a bat and flap away forever,_ she told me.

_I don't worship Jake,_ I snapped, bristling.

_Nah,_ she agreed, _I think you've actually deified him._

_Shut up. I just think he's a better Alpha than Sam. _Leah thought for a minute.

_Whatever. What're you going to do once this is over? Once Bella's gone?_

_You think she's gonna die?_ I asked.

_You think she's gonna stick around even if she does turn bloodsucker? _Leah shot back.

Well, she had a point there. I couldn't really imagine Bella hanging around Forks as a newborn vampire. I remembered what they were like and didn't think Forks was the greatest place to have one romping around, even with the protection of all the other Cullens. I wondered where they'd go. I'd miss them when they were gone.

_I'm sure she'll send you postcards. Maybe she'll send them on a messenger bat. Like a pigeon, you know, but more… vampire-y,_ Leah taunted.

_Hilarious,_ I sneered.

_I thought so_,Leah agreed.

The werewolf thing wasn't so bad, really.

_Oh, shut up, Seth. You've loved every second of being a freaking wolf._

_If you were nearby I'd stick my tongue out at you,_ I told her.

_Bite me_.

_I could do that, too,_ I reasoned, grinning against the wind until a leaf flew into my mouth. I spat it out, ignoring Leah's barking laughter in my head.


	15. An Intruder in their Territory

Of course, our amusing sibling banter couldn't actually last more than an hour or so.

Peace and calm happiness don't accompany the life of a boy who turns into a wolf, do they?

I was running the border for the millionth time, wondering if Jake was asleep yet because he really needed it, when the sound of paws slapping the ground reached my ears. For a second I assumed it was Leah – that was how sure I was that the pack wasn't going to confront us.

But the last time I checked, Leah didn't have twelve legs. Or sixteen, I amended, listening harder.

Crap.

Leah read my thoughts as I skidded across the ground for the second time recently, digging my claws into the ground as I spun out, the hair on my back raising in fear and aggression. Simultaneously, Leah and I threw back our heads and howled. The tone of urgency in our mingling cries would bring Jake in a second. Or so I hoped, because Leah and I weren't fighting three or four members of the pack.

And Leah wasn't even close to me.

_I'm coming_, she promised, flying toward me with more speed than I'd ever seen, the forest a complete blur as she threw herself over logs and rocks. So maybe she was a little protective of me, after all.

_You'd better be,_ I muttered, inching forward as I listened hard to the group of wolves running toward me.

And then Jacob was with us. _What is it?_ he shouted, already sprinting toward me.

_Incoming. At least three,_ I reported. This was it. This was what we'd been waiting for this whole time. I took another step forward.

_Did they split up?_

_I'm running the line back to Seth at the speed of light. So far, no other point of attack,_ Leah responded.

_Seth, do _not_ challenge them. Wait for me,_ Jake told me, still yelling in his head. I listened harder to the approaching footsteps.

_They're slowing. Ugh… it's so off not being able to hear them. _As I spoke, the footsteps slowed. _I think…_

_What?_

_I think they've stopped._ Yeah, they were definitely stopping about a hundred yards away and walking in.

_Waiting for the rest of the pack?_ Jake mused, but I shook my head.

_Shh. Feel that?_ I shuddered as the world around me almost seemed to… shiver.

_Someone's phasing?_

_Feels like it,_ I decided. Leah entered then, her entrance impressive as leaves flew up around her.

_Got your back, bro,_ she assured me as we both leaned forward, listening hard, our teeth bared.

_They're coming. Slow. Walking. _I swallowed, standing up on my paws so I'd look taller.

_Almost there,_ Jake promised, pushing himself harder. I heard the protective edge to his thoughts, and so did Leah.

_Look who's getting all paternal,_ she muttered.

_Head in the game, Leah._

_Four. Three wolves, one man,_ I decided. I heard the impressed note in Jake's thoughts and straightened slightly. He appeared in the clearing then, slowing from his dead sprint as he entered and trotting to the front. Automatically, I moved up to his right shoulder, Jake's Second.

_So now I rank under Seth,_ Leah complained.

_First come, first served,_ I shot back. '_Sides, you were never an Alpha's Third before. Still an upgrade._

_Under my baby brother is _not_ an upgrade,_ she grumbled. Baby brother? I resented that.

_Shh! I don't care where you stand. Shut up and get ready,_ Jake reprimanded us. Leah growled quietly, I pawed at the ground, and Jake rolled his shoulders and straightened to his full, impressive height. We stood, three across, waiting anxiously together: a pack defending its territory for the first time.


	16. A Reunion in a Sense

And then there they were. Jared was in front, human, hands held up in front of him in a sign of clear and open lack of aggression. Behind him came Paul, Quil, and Collin. It was weird to see their familiarly shaggy selves and not hear what was going on in their heads as they glanced at each other, walking slowly forward until they reached the clearing and then stopping, hanging back behind Jared.

But… Collin? Where was Embry?

_A diversion_? Leah asked, as they'd been thinking the same thing I had.

_Want me to check? I can run the line and be back in two minutes,_ Leah suggested.

_Should I warn the Cullens?_ I asked.

_What if the point was to divide us? The Cullens know something's up. They're ready,_ Jake disagreed.

_Sam wouldn't be so stupid…_ Leah whispered, dread coloring her thoughts. I caught her eyes and saw what she was imagining – Sam attacking the Cullens with only two others at his side. She might have resented him, but she still loved him. And she knew he'd never survive that.

_No, he wouldn't,_ Jake whispered back, sounding a little sick at the thought himself.

"White flag of truce, Jake. We're here to talk," Jared said then.

_Think it's true?_ I asked, hoping the answer was yes so I could stop feeling freaked about the thought of fighting these guys. Hoping, but not really expecting.

_Makes sense, but…_ Jake hedged.

_Yeah. But,_ Leah murmured in our heads.

"It would be easier to talk if I could hear you, too," Jared pointed out, frowning. None of us made any move to phase, and Jared sighed. "Okay. I guess I'll just talk, then. Jake, we want you to come back." Quil yelped quietly behind him, agreeing. "You've torn our family apart. It's not meant to be this way." Jake had done this? What about Sam and his plans of betrayal and murder? "We know that you feel strongly about the situation with the Cullens. We know that's a problem. But this is an overreaction," Jared continued.

I couldn't help but growl at that. _Overreaction? And attacking our allies without warning isn't?_

_Seth, you ever heard of a poker face? Cool it, _came Jake's thoughts.

_Sorry._ Jared glanced at me for the first time and I narrowed my eyes at him. He looked back to Jake.

"Sam is willing to take this slowly, Jacob. He's calmed down, talked to the other Elders. They've decided that immediate action is in no one's best interest at this point."

_Translation: they've already lost the element of surprise, _Leah decided. That and three fighters, I thought to myself.

"Billy and Sue agree with you, Jacob," Jared went on. "that we can wait for Bella to be separated from the problem. Killing her is not something any of us feel comfortable with." Jake snarled at that. "Easy, Jake. You know what I mean. The point is, we're going to wait and reassess the situation. Decide later if there's a problem with the thing."

Leah wasn't buying it, and she told Jake so.

_I know what they're thinking, Jake. What Sam's thinking. They're betting on Bella dying anyway. And then they figure you'll be so mad…_ Leah trailed off, not really wanting to go there.

_That I'll lead the attack myself,_ Jake finished quietly for her, thinking about how he'd feel if Bella did die. Thinking about how easy it would be to forget that the vampires weren't our enemies but our allies.

_I'll remind you,_ I whispered, standing straighter as I thought about Bella, about Edward, about Carlisle and the rest of them.

_I know you will, kid. Question is whether I'll listen to you,_ Jake replied, and I gritted my teeth as I wondered the same thing.

Jake sent Leah around one more circuit to make sure there weren't any more surprises coming for us (although I think the real reason he sent her away was because he was going human and didn't have any clothes, but I didn't mention it. Leah, being Leah, did mention it) before phasing human. He talked to Jared for a while, but he wasn't backing down. Jared wanted us back, but Jake wasn't letting up. We needed to stay here, protect the Cullens, no matter what.

_I don't see any surprises,_ Leah told me. That was weird. What was Collin doing here? Where was Embry? I looked harder at Quil.

_Hmm. Check out Quil when you get back. He looks pretty messed up. You think…_

Leah caught onto my line of thinking immediately. _You think Embry and Quil want to pull a me and join Jake's pack? So he wouldn't let Embry be tempted by talking to Jake? But then why'd Sam risk sending Quil?_

_Embry's… not as… I don't know, rough as Quil. More likely he'd miss Jake enough to leave than Quil. Plus, Quil's got Claire. No way he's gonna be able to leave her. Embry doesn't have that,_ I pointed out. Leah thought about it.

_Hmm. Not bad thinking, Seth,_ she decided.

_I try._

"I guess there's nothing I can say to you, then," Jared was saying to Jake, who shrugged.

"Not now. We'll see how things go."

Jared turned to me then. I gazed back without blinking. "Sue asked me to tell you – no, to beg you – to come home. She's brokenhearted, Seth. All alone. I don't know how you and Leah can do this to her. Abandon her this way, when your dad just barely died –"

I swallowed hard, looking down at my paws and using every ounce of willpower I had to keep my thoughts away from that empty space by my mom at night, the empty space at the dinner table... not the time, not the time, not the time…

"Ease up, Jared," Jake warned, which I appreciated. I scratched uneasily at the ground and focused on Jared again.

"Just letting him know how it is," Jared replied, looking back at Jake, who scoffed.

"Right. Sue's known about this for how many hours now? And most of that time spent with Billy and Old Quil and Sam? Yeah, I'm sure she's just perishing of loneliness. 'Course, you're free to go if you want, Seth. You know that." I sniffed, knowing Jake was right about my mom and also knowing there was no way I'd leave his pack. My mom was fine. She was fine. Really.

Jake needed me. The Cullens needed me.

I heard Leah then. I cocked my ear to the north, and a second later Leah skidded into the clearing. She jogged to the point in front of me. I rolled my eyes at that.

"Leah?" Jared asked. Leah snarled at him and I rolled my eyes again. "Leah, you know you don't want to be here." Leah growled sharply.

_The nerve of that idiot. How the hell does he know where I want to be? Look at him, thinking he knows what I'm thinking, why I'm here, what I want… I should claw his eyes out right now and get it over with._ I whined, nudging her softly in the shoulder.

_He's just trying to get you back, Leah. They miss you. That's a positive thing, sis._

"Sorry. Guess I shouldn't assume. But you don't have any ties to the bloodsuckers," Jared pointed out.

Leah looked directly at me – _protecting my baby brother – _and then at Jake – _and joining a pack with an Alpha who I'm not both in love with and hated by_.

"So you want to watch out for Seth, I get that," Jared said. I snorted. "But Jake's not going to let anything happen to him." Let anything happen to me? What, was I a kid being taken care of now? "And he's not afraid to be here." Jared made a face at that, and I stood taller. "Anyway, please, Leah. We want you back. Sam wants you back." Leah's wordless agony at that was physically painful to me. I nudged her again, letting her know I was there. "He told me to beg. He told me to literally get down on my knees if I have to. He wants you home, Lee-lee, where you belong."

_WHERE I BELONG? And I belong with him, huh? Who the hell does that bastard think he is? All he thinks about all day is how I don't belong there, don't belong with all you guys in the pack, don't belong with him, in his house, in his pack, in his head…that son of a bitch! I belong where I damn well chose to belong, with my brother and an Alpha who respects me, who doesn't resent me every second of his life, doesn't hate me for loving him! Damn it, Jared, you can tell Sam to go to hell where_ he_ belongs!_ Leah snarled, yowling loudly as she thought the words. Jared stepped back a step, his eyebrows raised.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Leah belongs wherever she wants to be," Jake muttered once she was finished. Leah growled sharply. "Look, Jared, we're still family, okay? We'll get past the feud, but until we do, you probably ought to stick to your land. Just so there aren't misunderstandings. Nobody wants a family brawl, right? Sam doesn't want that either, does he?" Jake asked reasonably. Sounded about right to me.

"Of course not. We'll stick to our land. But where is _your_ land, Jacob? Is it vampire land?" Jared demanded.

"No, Jared. Homeless at the moment. But don't worry, this isn't going to last forever. There's not that much time… left, okay?" I heard the tone in Jake's voice change as he struggled to continue. "Then the Cullens will probably go, and Seth and Leah will come home."

_The _hell _I'm going home, _Leah muttered to herself.

_Home's with my Alpha, Jake, and that's you,_ I thought. Leah and I whined together, looking at Jake pointedly.

They left soon after. I watched them go, not quite sure how I felt. Jake was worried about talking for us, but he'd been great. I shared my Embry theory with him, and he seemed to think it was a valid idea.

_You want me to explain to the Cullens?_ I offered. _They're probably still kinda tense._ I wondered if Edward had heard any of this. How far could he hear, anyway? I just knew it didn't work as well as our pack-connected minds did.

_I got it. I want to check things out anyway,_ Jake decided, thinking about what he'd seen last time he'd been at the Cullen's.

A flash of Bella drinking a sippy-cup of blood entered his head. I recoiled, whimpering as I couldn't help but think, _Ew._

Leah shook her fur out, trying to rid the image from her mind unsuccessfully. _That is easily the freaking grossest thing I've heard in my life. Yuck. If there was anything in my stomach, it would be coming back,_ she complained. We all stood there, thinking about the grossness for a moment. I felt bad about talking about Bella like that, even if it was completely disgusting.

_They are vampires, I guess. I mean, it makes sense. And if it helps Bella, it's a good thing, right? _ I tried. We were, after all, all about helping Bella, yes?

Jake and my sister just stared at me silently for a second.

_What?_ I defended myself.

_Mom dropped him a lot when he was a baby,_ Leah told Jake.

_On his head, apparently,_ Jake replied, nodding.

_He used to gnaw on the crib bars, too_, Leah added.

_Lead paint?_

_Looks like it_, Leah decided.

I snorted. _Funny. Why don't you two shut up and sleep?_ I suggested, turning to run the perimeter once again.


	17. A Breakfast in the Morning

**A/N: Hey, guys. Sorry about the absurd length of time between updates. That may or may not continue to happen… but I hope you enjoy the installments when they do pop up! I also just uploaded a one-shot to this site about Jake and kind of about Bella, so go check that out. It's called "Wolves Don't Cry" and you can probably find it on my profile easily.**

Leah and I switched off sometime around midnight so I could get some sleep. I slept in my wolf form this time, nervous about Leah running the perimeter alone. Funny, since she'd been feeling protective of me earlier, but I was her brother, so what could I say?

It was that weird time right before dawn when I woke up again to Leah in my head. _Where the hell's Jake?_ she was asking.

_Prob'ly asleep, like I was,_ I groaned.

_Go see,_ she insisted. _Make sure the bloodsuckers didn't kill him and store him in a coffin somewhere._

_Seriously, Leah? I'm going back to sleep. Jake ran for like… what, forty hours or something? Maybe longer, I don't know when his last patrol was for Sam. He's got to be exhausted. I'm sure he's still sleeping._ I sighed and rolled over.

_And if he's not?_ Leah asked. _You gonna be the one to explain to Billy that we figured he was napping so we didn't go check on him in their lair?_

_You seriously believe…_ I began, annoyed and still tired, but I didn't have the energy to finish the statement. Plus, I hadn't seen Bella yet. That'd be nice, anyway. _Whatever, sure. I'll go make sure he's there. Howl if something happens_.

_No, I was planning on just kinda whimpering really quietly, actually, Seth,_ she replied scathingly, rolling her eyes.

_Shut up,_ I replied tiredly, lurching to my feet and shaking my whole body, waking up. I blinked a few times and then I was off, running through our circle to the Cullen's.

It didn't occur to me until I'd phased and was standing behind a tree that I didn't have any clothes. And as much as I liked the Cullens, there was no way I was waltzing in there naked.

"Seth?" came Edward's voice then.

"Hey, Edward!" I called, waving.

"I heard you… I brought some clothes," he explained, holding up a shirt and a pair of pants. "They're mine – you look about my size, right?" I grinned.

"Yeah. Thanks, Edward!" I took the clothes and pulled on the pants first, a pair of dark khaki pants. They were a little lose at the waist but fit perfectly otherwise. He handed me a belt, too, and I grinned as I slipped it through the belt loops. That would be annoying if I had to phase in a second, I thought to myself, but I wasn't counting on having to do that any time soon. I pulled the button-down, white shirt over my arms and began buttoning it up as Edward and I walked back to the house. "How's Bella doin'?" I asked as I rolled up the sleeves on the shirt.

"Much better. I assume Jacob shared her… newest treatment with you and Leah?" he asked. I tried not to shudder as I nodded.

"Yeah. Seemed like a creative idea – I'm glad someone thought to do that," I replied. Edward looked impressed.

"You never cease to amaze me, Seth. The thought of Bella drinking blood revolts the very essence of who you were born to be, and yet you find words to compliment the idea almost immediately," he told me. I shrugged, stuffing my hands in the pockets of my pants.

"Whatever. If it's good for Bella, it's good, right?"

"Yes," he replied, smiling. "It was Jacob's idea, actually."

"Really?" I asked as he pulled open the door and waited for me to go first. "That… doesn't sound like Jake." I jumped inside; it felt odd to be under a roof after all this time in the forest. Edward frowned.

"Seth, I don't want you to feel like you only need to come here when you're looking for Jacob. You have the benefits of a home for as long as you're here," he told me.

"Thanks, man," I said, "But it's okay. We can find food and sleep and stuff as wolves." I looked around the living room. Ah – there was Jake, asleep on the ground by the door. I laughed, and Edward smiled a little, too. "He sounds like a freaking chain saw. He needs a muffler," I muttered, shaking my head.

"I was serious, Seth. You're hungry, right? Well, we have plenty of food here for Bella, and I've picked up a few cooking skills through the years. Let me make some breakfast for you and Leah. It's the very least I can do for all you've sacrificed to be here," he offered.

"Just doing my job," I replied, shrugging.

"Seth, you're staying for breakfast. My son makes the best cinnamon rolls you've ever tasted, and we were about to make some omelets for Bella anyway," Esme called, entering the room. I laughed.

"Okay, okay, I'll stay!" I exclaimed. Edward disappeared into the kitchen and I walked through the living room. Bella was there on the couch, looking much better than she had in Jake's thoughts.

"Bella! Hey!" I exclaimed, striding over quickly.

"Hi, Seth! It's good to see you again," she replied, really smiling. I grinned back. "Sit," she said, patting the spot next to her on the couch. I did. "You're staying for breakfast?" she asked, glancing at the already-cooking Edward.

"Yeah, Esme and Edward tag-teamed me," I replied, grimacing. "So… how are you? I mean…"

"I'm doing a lot better. It's all thanks to Jake's idea," she replied, absolutely glowing.

"Yeah, that's what everyone keeps saying," I muttered, still not so sure about the whole Jake-saving-the-baby thing. I had to smile, though; whenever Bella talked about Jake, her whole face lit up, like the sun had suddenly come out to shine just on her. I could see why Jake was having such a hard time leaving. She might have been _in_ love with Edward, but she sure loved Jake a whole lot, too.

"Yes," Edward agreed, coming into the living room with a plate of food and looking rather troubled. I immediately began thinking of things deliberately _not_ related to Jake.

"Yes what?" Bella asked, but Edward just shook his head.

"There's more in the kitchen," he said, handing me the plate. I took a deep breath – the amazing smell of the cinnamon roll sitting in front of me _almost_ completely knocked out the vamp smell that was so overwhelming here. I sighed as I stood.

"I should bring some to my sister before I eat anything," I said. "I'll be back in a few minutes – that okay?"

"Of course," Edward replied. "And Leah is free to come here to eat as well, if she wishes, of course."

"Yeah… I'll let her know," I muttered, striding out of the house before I could picture too clearly Leah's probable response to that invitation.

I went out to the woods to phase so I could leave my clothes there, stacked neatly below a tree for safe keeping. I had possessions now. Borrowed ones, but still. It was a step up from my old status as completely possession-less.

_Leah, I have food_, I thought tantalizingly as soon as I'd phased. Even as a wolf, the plate of eggs and cinnamon rolls sitting on a rock by my clothes looked absolutely amazing.

_From the vamps? Thanks, but I'd rather eat road kill._

_Leah, it looks really good. Just eat it,_ I begged. She scoffed.

_Seth, you were literally _born_ to kill them. You can't seriously be taking hand-outs from them now._

_Lighten up,_ I complained. _It's food. It's good. Since when are you in the business of turning down cinnamon rolls?_

_If you hadn't noticed, you boys are the ones with the absurd appetite. I may be a werewolf, but food doesn't control my every move._

_Whatever. I'll leave the food here on this rock. You're gonna cave, I promise… just don't think about it afterward unless you want to be endlessly mocked,_ I told her, shaking my head. She didn't reply, already concentrating on the woods flying past her as she ran, and I phased and returned back to the Cullens' a minute later.


End file.
